


Him at 25

by Artisuseless



Series: Chocobros Week [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Chocobros Week, Dreams, FFXV Spoilers, Multi, Prompto is sad and so am I, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2019-01-18 17:19:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12392571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artisuseless/pseuds/Artisuseless
Summary: Chocobros Week Day 3 Prompt: Dreams or Nightmares"Do you guys still dream of Noctis?""Why does it matter? I didn't know you were so interested in my dreams.""Because I don't."





	Him at 25

"Do you still dream of him?"

Gladio halts the chocobo, stalling the small procession the three of them have going down the road. The beam of his light flicks back as he turns the bird around to face Prompto. With the full glare of the torch they have strapped to the harness, Prompto can't look directly at Gladio. Though even without, he's sure he would have struggled to meet his gaze. 

Around them, the world is as still as it gets. There is the faint howl of daemons, the hint of soot in the air, but everything else is quiet. Like the world has fallen asleep but has forgotten to get up. Like the world is dead. The roads crack with every passing day, slowly getting more and more dilapidated but without a single soul willing to brave the night to fix them. The only places lit up at night are Hammerhead, Lestallum and Gralea, the three cities brimming with refugees, trapped by the walls that keep the daemons out. Hunters move from outpost to outpost, guarding caravans of goods that comprise the makeshift economy between the three standpoints. Others will guard convoys, take on hunts out of the goodness of their heart, or their sheer apathy for death in the eternal night. 

Maybe that's why the three of them do this. Maybe that's why for the first time in 5 years, they finally meet up again. Maybe it's because they've finally given up all hope of ever waking up from this eternal night. 

"What?"

"Noctis. Do you guys still dream of Noctis?"

From behind him, Prompto hears Ignis shift in his saddle. His chocobo is leashed to Prompto's, while Gladio typically walks ahead of the pack. The torch is attached to Gladio's chocobo, in part because Gladio needs the light to navigate and in part because it would be wasted on Ignis anyway. Prompto, however, is not used to the dark. Five years and he still loathes the shadows with every fibre of his being. 

He can't see Gladio's face amidst the glare from the light but his voice carries over well enough. There's a soft snort, coupled with a humour that the Shield has taken to these days. 

"Why does it matter? I didn't know you were so interested in my dreams."

"Because I don't." 

And suddenly all the humour is gone. Even though he can't make out Gladio's face, he knows whatever semblance of joy has fallen from it. 

"I don't dream about Noct anymore. Not that I dream a lot but-" He swallows, the noise too loud in the silence of the night. 

"When I do, when I do get to dream, I don't dream about him, I can't."

"Prompto-" Ignis' voice come from behind him. "Is this something that has been bothering you?"

"Yes, yes it has Ignis! I don't dream about Noct because I have no idea what he looks like anymore!"

"It's been five years and I can't- I just can't see him anymore. He's still 20, he's still trapped in that crystal, he's still sleeping somewhere and I have no idea what Noct's face looks like now and I just... can't see him."

His own voice shakes under the weight. For a moment, they're back to the silence of the world around them. Just the world that they have left, the world after the light has gone away, a world of endless night. It's a world without Insomnia, a world without Luna, a world without Noctis and Prompto doesn't think he can bear the constant silence for a second more. 

"I've dreamed about Noctis."

Ignis urges the chocobo forward and rests a hand on Prompto's own. All before he realises that he's shaking. 

"I dream that he's 25, ruling Lucis with the sort of wisdom I only wish I could have myself. I see him with facial hair, a strong jaw and eyes that remind me of what the former king looked like before the Crystal took his health. I dream that he is loved by the people, respected by his council, feared by the Empire. I dream that Noctis is the king we all wished he could have been."

Gladio's laugh interrupts them, full blown and booming into the night. Gladio laughs like the world is one bad comedy show and he's only just gotten the punch line. His chocobo startles, squawking in protest under the heaving mountain of a man on top of her, but Gladio continues regardless. He laughs and laughs and laughs, until he chases away the silence and Prompto has never been more grateful for the Shield than now. 

"Are you kidding Iggy? Did we know the same Noct?"

Ignis' lips curve up caught halfway between friendly and smug that he wore so well. 

"Well, I'd certainly like to hear your version."

"I dream our princess would sleep in every morning. He would demand every meeting be held after 12 and none of them would go longer than 1 hour because our precious Noct would just fall asleep. He'd skip the ones he didn't want to go to, and you'd spend the rest of your life chasing him down and getting him to eat properly."

A chuckle from Ignis, warm and filled with humour. 

"I can't say that's the future I would be dreaming about. One can hope Gladio."

"Hah! He wouldn't change for us, I don't think he'll change just cause they slap a fancier title on him."

"I think a fancier title would definitely soften you up Gladio. Not that being the Shield is not an already worthy position."

"Me as Your Majesty? Nope, king would look good on you Iggy." Gladio's arm sweeps through the air in a mock bow. "King Ignis and Prince Prompto. Your majesties."

The smile on Ignis' face widens, brightening even amongst the shadows that have never left them. Gladio's laugh and Ignis' smile, the two of them chasing away both the darkness and the silence and keeping Prompto's world alive despite everything bad that has happened to them. Ignis' hand is still warm on, rubbing his thumb across Prompto's palm to still the shaking. And then Gladio is beside him, pulling him into those arms that have never once let him down. And then he's crying, tears slipping down his face and onto Gladio's shirt as the both of them soothe Prompto's sobs. 

Because they can still see Noct clearly in their minds. They have never once let go of Noctis' legacy, who he was as a person, the memories the four of them shared before it was all too abruptly cut short. They know who Noctis will be in five, ten, twenty years after they've last seen him. They remember him and know him so well that they can paint exactly what he would be like if Noctis were still travelling with them. 

And he's the only one who can't. 

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I can't." Prompto sobs. "I can't imagine him as a good king, I can't imagine him as being a bad one, I can't see him or dream about him at all."

"You don't need to." Ignis says, squeezing Prompto's hand in his. "You don't have to dream about Noctis."

"You'll see him again." Gladio strokes Prompto's back. "One day. We'll all see him again. None of this dreaming. No arguing over whether he'll be good at his job or not. No arguing over whether we'll get married one day or they'll throw us out of the palace for loving him."

"We will find him again Prompto. And when that happens, you won't need to imagine his face. You won't need to see Noctis only in your dreams. He will be right there in front of us." 

And that's what he holds onto. There's photos of course, memories of their high school days and the road trip. There are soft moments that they recall fondly with each other, recounting the nights spent under the stars in each others' embrace. But none of that keeps Prompto tethered to the world like the hope that he'll see Noctis' face again. Dreams mean nothing, they'll lose each one of them to the never ending night that eats up all the joys of sleep. No, it's Noctis coming back to them after ten long years, and the promise of what they'll share together afterwards, that truly matters to them.

**Author's Note:**

> This one got a bit long and towards the end, I felt like I was waffling on~ Hoping I can put one of these out a day until we hit the end of the prompts, and then I have.... exams ;A; Hope you guys enjoy :D


End file.
